Cassette eject mechanism, battery loading mechanism and mechanical chassis supporting mechanism

Abstract: A cassette eject mechanism for a recording or reproducing apparatus can remove a cassette eject button from a housing and can reliably eject a tape cassette only when a tape cassette should be loaded or unloaded. A battery loading mechanism for an electronic equipment can make the loading of battery simple and reliable, and becomes easy to handle. The locking mechanism can be simplified in structure so that the number of assembly parts can considerably be reduced. Further, a mechanical chassis supporting mechanism in a recording apparatus is for use with an apparatus in which a mechanical chassis or cabinet can be reduced in thickness. According to this mechanical chassis supporting mechanism, it is possible to prevent an external stress from being applied to the mechanical chassis as a twisting deform force.

Description: The invention relates to recording or reproducing apparatus, for example a so-called single unit video camera-recorder having a camera function and a recording or reproducing function and including a cassette eject mechanism. The apparatus preferably also includes a battery loading mechanism (also usable in other electronic equipment, such as a liquid crystal television receiver) and a mechanical chassis supporting mechanism therefor. Single-unit video camera-recorders are now commercially available. A single unit video camera-recorder needs various operations buttons provided on the housing to take a picture and various operation switch buttons to record a video signal or to reproduce a recorded video signal. Of the above-mentioned operation switch buttons, the single-unit video camera-recorder needs cassette eject buttons disposed on the housing to perform the recording or reproduction. EP-A-0 393 647 gives an example of this kind of apparatus. This document is used for the delimitation of claim 1. Since the single-unit video camera-recorder has many operation switches disposed on its housing as described above, the user may operate the wrong switch button unintentionally. Therefore, the single-unit video camera-recorder has an image that it is not so easy for the user to handle. Of the various operation switch buttons, if the user operates the cassette eject button inadvertently, there is then the problem that a tape cassette is ejected from the single-unit video camera-recorder to interrupt the recording or reproducing operation during the recording or reproduction. Therefore, when the single-unit video camera-recorder is used outdoors, from a portability standpoint, the single-unit video camera-recorder has various mechanical restrictions, such as where to dispose a cassette eject button and how to provide a cassette eject button locking mechanism. Another problem is that inspection and/or repair of the head drum cannot easily be carried out. According to the invention there is provided a recording or reproducing apparatus including a cassette eject mechanism comprising a main body portion having a cassette compartment disposed therein, a lid portion supported on the main body portion so as to become openable and closable, a pair of guide arms supported on the lid portion to assist the lid portion to be opened and closed relative to the main body portion, and a cassette eject switch to be operated in a ganged relation to an opening operation of the lid portion, characterised in that the lid portion is supported on the main body portion by means of a hinge portion about which it is openable and closeable and the pair of guide arms can be detached from the lid portion to allow the lid portion to be opened wide to expose a drum portion of the recording or reproducing apparatus. The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a single-unit video camera-recorder according to the invention from the rear surface thereof; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the single-unit video camera-recorder according to the invention from the front surface thereof; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the single-unit video camera-recorder according to the invention under the condition that a lid portion thereof is opened; FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the single-unit video camera-recorder according to the invention; FIG. 5 is a side view of the single-unit video camera recorder according to the invention; FIG. 6 is a plan view of a cassette eject mechanism used in the single-unit video camera-recorder according to the invention; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the operated state of the cassette eject mechanism of the single-unit video camera-recorder according to the invention; FIG. 8 is a front view of a lid pop-up mechanism according to the invention; and FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the single-unit video camera-recorder of Figures 1 to 8 under the condition that a lid portion is opened. Referring to the drawings, a single-unit video camera-recorder is generally depicted by reference numeral 1. Initially, main portions of the single-unit video camera-recorder 1 will be described below. As illustrated, a casing or housing of the single-unit video camera-recorder 1 comprises a main body portion 2 and a lid portion 3. The lid portion 3 is openably and closably supported to the main body portion 2 by a hinge portion 4. The lid portion 3 is closed when levers 5, 5 provided on the free end of the lid portion (3) are locked into engagement holes 6, 6 bored through the end portion of the main body portion 2. The lid portion 3 can be released from the locked state by sliding a lid lock releasing slide bar 7 and can be opened. The lid portion 3 can be rotated about the hinge portion 4 relative to the main body portion 2 and includes a pair of upper and lower guide arms 8, 9 of arcuate configuration rotatable about the hinge portion 4 and fixed to the lid portion by screws 3a, 3a. The two guide arms 8, 9 each include a shaped guide slot 8a, 9a with which guide pins 10 (shown only in FIG. 6) provided on the main body portion 2 side are engaged, thereby assisting the lid portion 3 to be opened and closed. As shown in FIG. 2, a lens window 11 of a camera portion is provided on the upper portion of the front wall of the main body portion 2. A sound collecting portion 12 is provided near the lens window 11. The main body portion 2 includes a camera mode start/stop button 13 provided on the upper one side thereof. A switching lever 14 is provided near the start/stop button 14 to switch a wide angle mode and a telephoto mode of the camera portion. A camera mode and video mode switching operation dial 15 is provided on the upper portion of another one side of the main body portion 2. As shown in FIG. 1, a viewfinder 16 is provided on the upper rear surface portion of the main body portion 2. The main body portion 2 includes a battery accommodating portion 17 formed on one side portion of the front wall thereof. The battery accommodating portion 17 comprises an accommodating concave portion (not shown) formed on the main body portion 2 and a lid portion 19 supported openable and closable to the main body portion 2 by means of a hinge portion 18. The lid portion 19 can be opened by sliding a lock releasing slide button 20. The lid portion 3 includes on its rear wall a liquid crystal display portion 21 which can display a picture to be monitored as shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid crystal display portion 21 is held by a frame 22 and the frame 22 includes an openable and closable hood 23 of a foldable type. The user can watch the liquid crystal display portion 21 by spreading the hood 23 as shown in FIG. 5. The frame 22 is pivotally supported at its upper end portion to the lid portion 3 by means of a hinge metal fitting 24. An angle of the frame 22 can be changed by an ancillary arm 25 as shown in FIG. 5. Therefore, the cameraman can take a picture while watching the liquid crystal display portion 21 under the condition that the liquid crystal display portion 21 is set at a desired angle by rotating the frame 22 in adjustment. The main body portion 2 includes on its bottom wall provided a supporting plate 26 which can electrically connect the single-unit video camera-recorder 1 to a station (not shown) as shown in FIG. 4. The supporting plate 26 is composed of an openable and closable shutter 26a and a terminal block 26b disposed on the inside of the shutter 26a. The above-mentioned station is a connection apparatus that enables information recorded by the single-unit video camera-recorder to be recorded and reproduced by a television receiver or to be dubbed by another VTR. The main body portion 2 includes a cassette compartment 27 of a recording or reproducing apparatus provided therein. The lid portion 3 can serve as a cassette lid of the cassette compartment 27. The cassette compartment 27 can eject the tape cassette in a so-called linear skate fashion. A cassette eject mechanism of the cassette compartment 27 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 7 shows the operated state of the cassette eject mechanism. Of the pair of guide arms 8, 9 which assist the lid portion 3 to open and close, the lower guide arm 9 includes an operation member 28 projected on its tip end portion. An eject switch 30 is disposed on a base plate 29 provided on the main body portion 2 side in response to the operation member 28. The eject switch 30 is electrically connected to a motor (not shown) for the eject operation of the cassette compartment 27. The guide arm 9 includes an inclined stepped lock portion 31 formed on the opposite side of the side in which the operation member 28 is provided. The lock portion 31 faces a spring portion 32 supported to the base plate 29 and constructs the locking mechanism. When the lid portion 3 is opened, the operation member 28 of the guide arm 9 that moves together with the opening of the lid portion 3 pushes a projected member 30a of the eject switch 30 and switches the eject switch 30. Therefore, the eject operation motor (not shown) of the cassette compartment 27 is driven and the cassette compartment 27 is operated in a linear skating fashion so that the tape cassette can be loaded onto and/or unloaded from the cassette compartment 27. At the same time when the eject operation of the cassette compartment 27 is carried out by operating the eject switch 30 in synchronism with closing operation of the lid portion 3, the lock portion 31 of the guide arm 9 comes in engagement with a spring member 32, whereby the lid portion 3 is locked under the condition that it is opened at maximum. Therefore, the lid portion 3 maintains the maximum opened state and the lid portion 3 can be prevented from being closed inadvertently so long as a large closing force is not applied thereto. The lid portion 3 can be released from the locked state when the lock member 31 of the guide arm 9 passes the spring member 32 by a force in the closing direction. Simultaneously, the operation member 28 of the guide arm 9 is released from the projected member 30a of the eject switch 30 and the eject switch 30 is disabled so that the cassette compartment 27 is moved at the loading position in a ganged relation to the eject switch 30. Thereafter, the levers 5, 5 provided on the free end of the lid portion 3 are locked into the engagement holes 6, 6 bored through the main body portion 2 side, thereby the lid portion 3 being placed in the closed state. On the other hand, the lid portion 3 includes a lid pop-up mechanism independently of the cassette eject mechanism. As shown in FIG. 8, this lid pop-up mechanism is composed of a frame 33 supported to the rear surface of the lid portion 3 at the intermediate position of the levers 5, 5 and a pop-up member 35 held to the lid portion 3 by a spring member 34 in the projected direction. Specifically, under the condition that the lid portion 3 is in the closed state, the pop-up member 35 is urged against the end portion of the main body portion 2 against the spring force of the spring member 34. When the lid portion 3 is released from the locked state by operating the lid lock releasing slide switch 7, the lid portion 3 can be popped up under the spring force of the spring member 34 urged against the pop-up member 35. As another action of the lid pop-up mechanism, it is possible to confirm that the lid portion 3 is not closed completely because the lid portion 3 is popped up by the pop-up member 35 if the lid portion 3 is not reliably locked when the lid portion 3 is being closed. The lid portion 3 can be rotated about the hinge portion 4 in the opening direction by removing the screws 3a, 3a which secured the guide frames 8, 9 to the lid portion 3, as shown in FIG. 9. Therefore, it is possible to repair and inspect a drum head 27a, such as cleaning of the drum head 27a or exchange the worn drum head 27a or to repair and inspect the tape path mechanism portion, such as cleaning of a tape guide system 27b of the tape path mechanism portion and a tape path adjustment with ease without disassembling the main body portion 2 and the lid portion 3. Since the eject operation of the cassette compartment 27 is carried out by operating the eject switch 30 in a ganged relation with the opening operation of the lid portion 3 as described above, it becomes unnecessary to dispose a cassette eject button on the surface of the housing unlike the prior art. As a consequence, it is possible to reliably prevent the tape cassette from being ejected inadvertently while the single-unit video camera-recorder is being operated. Since the lid portion 3 is locked under the condition that it is opened at maximum, the lid portion 3 can be prevented from being closed so long as the lid portion 3 is not acted upon by a recklessly large force. Therefore, the tape cassette can reliably be loaded to and/or unloaded from the cassette compartment which is placed under the eject state. Since the recording or reproducing apparatus includes the lid pop-up mechanism, the lid portion 2 is set in the popped-up state so long as the lid portion 3 is not closed completely. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the recording or reproducing apparatus from being used under the condition that the lid portion 3 remains opened. Further, since the lid portion 3 is rotated about the hinge portion 4 in the opening direction by a large amount, it is possible to easily perform repair and inspection, such as cleaning of the head drum and exchanging of the worn head drum or to perform repair and inspection, such as the tape path adjustment or the like without disassembling the main body portion 2 and the lid portion 3. As a consequence, it becomes possible to reduce the repair processes of the mechanical deck considerably. While the lid pop-up mechanism is shown disposed on the lid portion 3 side as described above, the lid pop-up mechanism could be disposed on the main body portion 2 side. While the cassette eject mechanism is shown applied to a single-unit video camera-recorder as described above, it could be applied to a variety of recording and reproducing apparatus. As described above, in the cassette eject mechanism of recording or reproducing apparatus comprising a main body portion in which a cassette compartment is incorporated and a lid portion supported to the main body portion so as to become openable and closable about a hinge portion, since the lid portion includes a pair of guide arms which assist the lid portion to be opened and closed relative to the main body portion in which a cassette eject switch is opened in a ganged relation with the opening operation of the lid portion, the cassette eject button need not be disposed on the surface of the housing of the recording or reproducing apparatus. As a consequence, it becomes possible to reliably prevent the tape cassette from being ejected during the single-unit video camera recorder is being operated. Furthermore, since the cassette eject button is reduced, it is possible to make the recording or reproducing apparatus easy to handle.

Claims: A recording or reproducing apparatus including a cassette eject mechanism comprising: a main body portion (2) having a cassette compartment (27) disposed therein; a lid portion (3) supported on the main body portion so as to become openable and closable; a pair of guide arms (8, 9) supported on the lid portion (3) to assist the lid portion (3) to be opened and closed relative to the main body portion (2); and a cassette eject switch (30) to be operated in a ganged relation to an opening operation of the lid portion (3); characterised in that :- the lid portion (3) is supported on the main body portion by means of a hinge portion (4) about which it is openable and closeable; and the pair of guide arms (8,9) can be detached from the lid portion (3) to allow the lid portion (3) to be opened wide to expose a drum portion (27a) of the recording or reproducing apparatus (1). A recording or reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cassette eject switch (30) is energized by one (9)of the pair of guide arms (8,9). A recording or reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide arm (9) includes a lock mechanism (31, 32) to lock the lid portion (3) when the lid portion (3) is in the opened state. A recording or reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein either of the lid portion (3) and the main body portion (2) includes a lid pop-up mechanism (33, 34, 35).

Inventors: FUNAKOSHI NAOKI, MATSUMOTO YOSHITAKA, MORIKAWA MASAYOSHI, SHIROKOSHI HISAO, FUNAKOSHI, NAOKI, MATSUMOTO, YOSHITAKA, MORIKAWA, MASAYOSHI, SHIROKOSHI, HISAO, FUNAKOSHI, NAOKI, C/O INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DIV., MATSUMOTO, YOSHITAKA, C/O INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY D., MORIKAWA, MASAYOSHI, C/O INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DIV, SHIROKOSHI, HISAO, C/O INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DIV.
Applicants: SONY CORP, SONY CORPORATION
Application year: 1994
Main classification: G11B31
IPC codes: G11B15, H04N5, G11B33, G11B31